Rabat – The Foreign Ministers of Morocco and Benin, Nasser Bourita and Olushegun Adjadi Bakari emphasized the importance of active solidarity and mutually beneficial partnership. Benin reaffirmed its support for the Autonomy Initiative presented for Western Sahara.
According to the Moroccan News Agency (MAP), Benin stated that, as part of the diplomatic and consular map review, it would advocate for establishing a consular presence in Laayún, Western Sahara.
It has also been reported that a mission will be carried out in Dajla, mainly to observe the economic and social development in the region and establish on-site partnerships.
In addition, the two ministers have agreed to hold the seventh Joint Commission for Moroccan-Beninese cooperation in Cotonou in early 2024.
Nasser Bourita, emphasizing the importance of the human dimension, informed his Beninese counterpart of the decision to increase the number of training scholarships for Beninese executives in Morocco. He also drew attention to the fact that, in the context of facilitating the free movement of people between the two countries, Morocco will carefully consider visa exemptions for Beninese nationals holding ordinary passports.
Meanwhile, starting January 1, 2024, Beninese citizens will benefit from the convenience of the e-visa, developed since 2023 with the Kingdom’s sister and friendly countries.